The console, which has just begun its tenth year on retail shelves, will cost €100 (US$133) and US$100 from Wednesday. It previously cost €130 and US$130.

Sony has sold more than 136 million of the consoles since it first launched on March 4, 2000, in Japan. It went on sale in Europe and North America in November of the same year.

Despite the launch of the more advanced PlayStation 3 console, the older model has remained equally popular in part due to the large catalog of games and low price. New software for the console continues to be published, and the price cut seems to ensure that its popularity will continue.

The price cut is due to improvements in manufacturing that allow Sony to consolidate components together onto more highly integrated chips and general reductions in the price of technology used in the console, which doubles as a DVD video player.

In its current financial year, which ends Tuesday, Sony expects to sell 8 million of the consoles, which is not far off the 10 million PlayStation 3s it expects to sell in the same period.

As of the first nine months of the year — the period from April to December 2008 — sales stood at 6.5 million PlayStation 2 units. Software sales over the same period were 72.1 million units.

Sony Cuts PlayStation 2 Price by 25 Percent

Awards in thirteen categories will be given at a ceremony produced by the Think Services Game Developers Conference (GDC) and presented by Gamasutra.com and Game Developer Magazine, on Wednesday, March 25, 2009 at GDC. The gala event, held in conjunction with the Independent Games Festival, will be hosted in the Esplanade Room in the South Hall of San Francisco’s Moscone Convention Center. For further details about the Choice Awards, visit www.gamechoiceawards.com.

The Game Developers Choice Awards recognize excellence in the art of game creation regardless of genre or platform. 2008’s award categories are:Game Developers Choice Awards

Lifetime Achievement Award

The Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes the career and achievements of a developer who has made an indelible impact on the craft of game development and games as a whole.

Pioneer Award

The Pioneer Award (formerly known as the First Penguin Award) celebrates those individuals who developed a breakthrough technology, game concept, or gameplay design at a crucial juncture in video game history – paving the way for the myriads who followed them.

• Alex Rigopulos and Eran Egozy

Ambassador Award

The Ambassador Award honors an individual or individuals who have helped the game industry advance to a better place, either through facilitating a better game community from within, or by reaching outside the industry to be an advocate for video games and help further our art.

• Tommy Tallarico

Game of the Year

The Game of the Year Award recognizes the choice of game developers for the overall best game release during 2008.

• Fable II (Lionhead Studios)
• LittleBigPlanet (Media Molecule)
• Fallout 3 (Bethesda Game Studios)
• Left 4 Dead (Valve Software)
• Grand Theft Auto IV (Rockstar North)

Innovation Award

The Innovation Award recognizes the single game that demonstrates true innovation, advances the state of the art, and pushes the boundaries of games as an expressive medium.

• SPORE (Maxis)
• World Of Goo (2D Boy)
• Boom Blox (EA Los Angeles)
• Braid (Number None)
• LittleBigPlanet (Media Molecule)

Best Debut Game

The Best Debut Game Award recognizes the best game from any development studio which released its first publicly available title in the year 2008.

• Braid (Number None)
• Sins of a Solar Empire (Ironclad Games)
• LittleBigPlanet (Media Molecule)
• World of Goo (2D Boy)
• Soul Bubbles (Mekensleep)

Best Audio

The Best Audio Award recognizes the overall excellence of audio in a game – including, but not limited to, sound effects, musical composition, sound design, orchestration, etc.

• Dead Space (EA Redwood Shores)
• LittleBigPlanet (Media Molecule)
• Metal Gear Solid 4 (Kojima Productions)
• Left 4 Dead (Valve Software)
• Gears of War 2 (Epic Games)

Best Game Design

The Best Game Design Award recognizes the overall excellence of design in a game – including, but not limited to, gameplay mechanics, playability, play balancing, and level design.

• Far Cry 2 (Ubisoft Montreal)
• Braid (Number None)
• Fallout 3 (Bethesda Game Studios)
• Left 4 Dead (Valve Software)
• LittleBigPlanet (Media Molecule)

Best Technology

The Best Technology Award recognizes the overall excellence of technology in a game – including, but not limited to, graphics programming, artificial intelligence, networking, and physics.

• SPORE (Maxis)
• Grand Theft Auto IV (Rockstar North)
• Left 4 Dead (Valve Software)
• LittleBigPlanet (Media Molecule)
• Gears of War 2 (Epic Games)

Best Visual Arts

The Best Visual Arts Award recognizes the overall excellence of visual art in a game – including, but not limited to, art direction, animation, modeling, character design, texture creation, and so on.

• Fallout 3 (Bethesda Game Studios)
• Metal Gear Solid 4 (Kojima Productions)
• Prince of Persia (Ubisoft Montreal)
• LittleBigPlanet (Media Molecule)
• Gears of War 2 (Epic Games)

Best Writing

The Best Writing Award recognizes the overall excellence of storytelling in a game – including, but not limited to, scenario, plot construction, story, dialogue, and other major factors.

• Far Cry 2 (Ubisoft Montreal)
• Braid (Number None)
• Fallout 3 (Bethesda Game Studios)
• Grand Theft Auto IV (Rockstar North)
• Metal Gear Solid 4 (Kojima Productions)

Best Downloadable Game

Best Downloadable Game Award recognizes the overall best game released on console or PC platforms specifically and solely for digital download – with an emphasis on smaller, more ‘casual’-friendly titles.

• Castle Crashers (The Behemoth)
• Braid (Number None)
• World Of Goo (2D Boy)
• N+ (Metanet/Slick Entertainment)
• PixelJunk Eden (Q-Games)

Best Handheld Game

Best Handheld Game Award recognizes the overall best game commercially released on any handheld platform during 2008.

• Advance Wars: Days Of Ruin (Intelligent Systems)
• God Of War: Chains Of Olympus (Ready At Dawn Studios)
• Echochrome (SCE Japan)
• Patapon (Pyramid/SCE Japan)
• The World Ends With You (Jupiter/Square Enix)

Game Developers Conference 2009: March 23-27, San Francisco – Game Developer Choice Awards

bit-tech.net covers hardware reviews and features, case modification, enthusiast gaming as well as providing the latest news and a balance of editorial opinion.

1. Left 4 Dead – Setting out to do for co-op gaming what Counter-Strike did for team combat, Left 4 Dead is an ambitious survival horror game. Running on the Source engine, Left 4 Dead leaves four armed survivors of a world overrun with zombies, and they must fight their way out to escape the outbreak.

Designed for co-op play, the four players must work together to finish each stage of the game, lending each other artillery support, sharing ammo and rescuing each other when zombies are on top of them. In addition to the standard four players as humans, another four players can be amongst the masses of assaulting zombies, seeking to take down the other players. Zombie players might even find themselves become one of the four mutant “boss” zombies, who have unique powers that can be used to devastate, injure, tie up, mark and track, confuse, or even humiliate the gun-toting human survivors

2. Fallout 3 – Vault 101 – Jewel of the Wastes. For 200 years, Vault 101 has faithfully served the surviving residents of Washington DC and its environs, now known as the Capital Wasteland. Though the global atomic war of 2077 left the US all but destroyed, the residents of Vault 101 enjoy a life free from the constant stress of the outside world. Giant Insects, Raiders, Slavers, and yes, even Super Mutants are all no match for superior Vault-Tec engineering. Yet one fateful morning, you awake to find that your father has defied the Overseer and left the comfort and security afforded by Vault 101 for reasons unknown. Leaving the only home you’ve ever known, you emerge from the Vault into the harsh Wasteland sun to search for your father, and the truth.

3 . Mass Effect

4. Grand Theft Auto IV

5. Far Cry 2

6. Race Driver: GRID

7. Crysis: Warhead

8. Audiosurf

9. Call of Duty: World at War

10 . Dead Space – Dead Space was one of the major launches in Electronic Arts’ attempt to reinvent itself as an innovator this year and the title shows off some rather funky in-game effects and mechanics. This isn’t just another over-the-shoulder bullet fest with monsters in closets, this is a lot more clever and subtle. The aliens you’re going up against are surprisingly tough to kill, but can be crippled by blowing off their arms and legs – so a lot of the action is up close and personal. It’s a good thing you have such a big suit of armour on.

Gameplay

According to Alex Ward from developer Criterion Games, this game is a “complete reinvention” of the Burnout series. He also said “To create truly next-generation gameplay, we needed to create a truly next-generation game, from the ground up.” Despite being in an open world, the game still retains the 60 frames-per-second most Burnout games have used. Initially day and night cycles were not included in the game but a software update entitled “Davis” added this element to the game. Records will now be kept on players’ drivers licenses and there will be statistics such as fastest time and biggest crash for every street in the game. Unlike in previous Burnout games, Crash Mode, now called Showtime, can now be started at any time and place in the game; though Showtime mode is rather different from the usual Crash Mode. Also, for races, players may now take any route to get to the destination. Races and other events are simply started by stopping at any of the 120 traffic lights around Paradise City and applying the accelerator and brake at the same time. Multiple settings have been confirmed to be fully customisable such as:

• Boost Rules”, where the player may choose cars that use the boost styles from previous Burnout games.
• Whether or not there is traffic in an online event.
• Start and finish points for online events with up to 16 checkpoints.

The damage system has also been reworked. There are now two different types of crash based on the car’s condition after the crash. If the player’s car manages to retain all four wheels, and not break its chassis, the player may drive out of the crash and continue playing; this is called a “driveaway”. If a player’s car loses any of its wheels, has the engine damaged too much from an impact, or winds up outside of the game’s map, the car is in a “wrecked” state and the player will have to wait until their car is reset. Cars can also be torn into several pieces, be compressed and deform around objects as you crash into them. However, Alex Ward confirmed in the Official Crash FM podcast that cars may not be ripped in half, as concept pictures and early information had stated. There are also other cars which can be obtained by typing in a sponsor code. These only work for certain regions. One of these sponsor code cars is the Steel Wheels version of the Carson GT concept car, which features the car with an armor plate and supercharger. The code for this car could be obtained from pre-ordering the game from certain retailers. When starting the single player mode you are assigned with a learner’s permit and a single car. While playing you race and win events to earn points towards a higher license, from a Learners Permit (E-class), D-class, C-class, B-class, A-class, Burnout Paradise (S-class), Burnout Elite (SS-class) up to Criterion Elite (SSS-class). After earning a new license every event that you complete is reset so you can replay the event again to earn credit towards a new license.

Cars now have manufacturer and model names, which are loosely based on real-world cars but are mostly fictional (some of the cars are even based on those from a previous Burnout game, e.g. the Hunter Manhattan is the Classic from Burnout 2). Cars may not be “tuned up” or customized apart from color changes, which may be done in real-time by driving through the forecourt of a blow shop, which will randomly assign a color to the car, or by selecting the color in the Junkyard where you select your vehicle (after taking the car through an Auto Repair drivethru at least once). Other real-time changes include driving through the forecourt of a gas station to automatically refill your Burnout meter, and driving through the forecourt of a repair shop to automatically repair your car, allowing you to extend a Road Rage or Marked Man event beyond the car’s damage limits.

The online lobby system used by most video games has been replaced by a streamlined system known as “Easy Drive”. While driving, players simply hit right on the D-Pad and the Easy Drive menu pops up on the bottom left hand corner of their screen. From there, players are able to invite another player from their friends list. Once friends have joined the game, the hosting player is then able to pick from a variety of events to play. There are also special Burnout Racing Team cars that you can get.

Car types

Cars in Burnout Paradise can have one of three types of “Boost Standard”, showing what a player will have to do with the car in order to build up their boost bar:

• Speed: Driving the car at high speeds through oncoming traffic and/or weaving through traffic (performing a “Near Miss” where the car avoids another by a few inches or less) builds up the boost bar. This is the only type of boost in which the boost is not available until the meter is completely filled. When it is filled, the boost bar becomes inflamed and the player may use it until they crash, let off of the boost, or run out of boost power. However, the depletion of boost power on a Speed Boost can cause a “Burnout” if the player keeps the boost button pressed after their boost bar is depleted, after which the bar refills allowing the player to continue using their boost. As long as the boost is continued to be used and the car is continuing to be driven, the player can create a “Burnout Chain” for as long as the player is able. This is the only standard that allows a Burnout chain.
• Stunt: The player can only build up this boost bar by performing stunts with the car (driving through oncoming traffic counts). However, as long as there is boost power stored, the player is able to use it. The Stunt boost is the longest boost bar initially.
• Aggression: The player can fill up this boost bar by reckless driving, such as performing traffic checks and/or takedowns, knocking over signs, performing stunts, and driving through oncoming traffic. Initially, the boost bar of these cars shows a “x2″ at the end of the bar. If a player performs a takedown, the bar can be extended until the player switches cars (the only boost standard that has this ability), thereby showing a “x3″ at the end of the bar instead. Like the Stunt standard, boost can be used immediately, regardless of if the player has the bar completely filled.

Cars are also rated on three merits when viewed at the Junkyard:

• Speed: How fast a car can go. The higher the rating, the higher the top speed in which a car will be able to reach without using boost.
• Boost: The cars boost power. The higher this rating, the longer the boost power on that car will last before running out.
• Strength: How long a car can go before becoming completely totaled. The higher the rating, the more likely the car will be able to survive a crash or be able to make another car crash instead of them (if a car is stronger than another, it is more likely that it will takedown the other in a collision). This rating also determines how many crashes a car can withstand in a Road Rage or Marked Man event if the car enters when it is in perfect condition.

Event types

Races, Marked Man events and Burning Routes can start in any location around Paradise City, but the destination is always one of eight: the Maplemount Country Club, the Coastguard HQ, the Waterfront Plaza, the Paradise Wildcats Baseball Stadium, the Fort Lawrence Naval Yard, the Lone Stallion Ranch, the Paradise City Wind Farm and the Crystal Summit Observatory. Road Rages and Stunt Runs have no set end destination.

• Race: Races consist of the player and at least one other car (races with just one opponent are known as ‘Duels’). The player is given a location to race to. The player can take any route through the city to the location, with the aid of a flashing road names at the top of the screen when the player is advised to turn. The first to arrive at the destination wins; there are no points or prizes awarded for placing second or third, unlike most racing games. Online races can also include checkpoints that need to be crossed before reaching the finish.

• Road Rage: The player is given a target number of takedowns and a time limit. A Road Rage event is won by meeting or exceeding this target in the given time limit. A variant of this event was made available for online play in the “Cagney” update.

• Marked Man: In this event, the player is given a destination. At least one opponent is trying to stop the player from reaching the destination by scoring takedowns against them. The player must survive from start to finish in order to win (the player can be part of collisions, but loses the event if he totals the car). A variant designed for online gameplay was included in the “Cagney” update.

• Stunt Run: Players are given a target score. They must earn points towards that score by using boosts, jumps, drifts and other such stunt moves. An online version of this event type was added to the game as part of the “Cagney” update.

• Burning Route: Each Burning Route requires the player to use a specific car. Once the player is driving the required car, they race against the clock to a specified location. When a Burning Route is won the player wins an upgraded version of the vehicle they completed it with. The upgraded vehicle can boast extra boost power, more base speed or a stronger body (but usually in exchange for another category being made weaker). This event is unique in that it does not reset when the player earns a new license, because it’s tied to the car used to run it rather than the license level the player is presently at.

After the “Burnout Bikes Update” (formerly called “Davis”), two new events were added that are exclusive to the Motorcycle

• Burning Ride: Same as a Burning Route but for the motorcycles. However, some of these are now timed checkpoint events wherein the rider must ride through a set number of checkpoints before the time limit expires. These checkpoint events also do not have to end at one of the predetermined endpoints in Paradise City (they can terminate at intersections).

• Midnight Ride: Same as a Burning Ride but takes place between the in-game hours of 8PM and 8AM.

More Information

• Developer(s)  Criterion Games
• Publisher(s)  Electronic Arts
• Designer(s)  Alex Ward (Creative director)
• Series  Burnout
• Platform(s)  PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows
• Release date(s)  Retail, PS3, Xbox 360, NA January 22, 2008, EU January 25, 2008, Download, NA September 25, 2008, EU September 25, 2008, Ultimate Box, February 2009
• Genre(s)  Racing, Sandbox
• Mode(s)  Single-player, Multiplayer

Links

• Official developer web site
• Official publisher website
• Wiki on this subject at Burnout Wiki

The game allows players to perform in virtual bands by providing up to four players with the ability to play three different peripherals modeled after music instruments (a guitar peripheral for lead guitar and bass guitar gameplay, a drum peripheral, and a microphone). These peripherals are used to simulate the playing of rock music by hitting scrolling notes on-screen. In addition to the 84 songs included on the game disc and 20 free downloadable songs, hundreds of additional downloadable songs are being released for the Xbox 360, Wii, and PlayStation 3 versions; all of these songs, existing and future, are compatible with all Rock Band titles. Rock Band 2 features improved drum and guitar controllers, while supporting older controllers, as well. New features include a “Drum Trainer” mode, a “Battle of the Bands” mode, online capabilities for “World Tour” mode, and merchandising opportunities for the players’ virtual bands.

Upon release, Rock Band 2 received very positive reviews from critics, while selling 363,000 copies in the first two weeks.

Gameplay

The core gameplay in Rock Band 2 is mostly unchanged from the original Rock Band. Players use peripherals modeled after musical instruments to simulate the performance of rock music. Players must play these instruments in time with musical “notes” as they scroll towards them on the screen. Rock Band 2 offers single-player and multiplayer gameplay for lead guitar, bass guitar, drums, and vocals, allowing for any combination of parts to play as a band.

During song performances, the game displays up to three tracks of vertically scrolling colored music notes, one section each for lead guitar, drums, and bass. The colored notes on-screen correspond to buttons on the guitar and drum peripherals. Along the top of the screen is the vocals display, which scrolls horizontally. The lyrics display beneath green bars, which represent the pitch of the individual vocal elements. The remainder of the screen is used to display the band’s virtual characters as they perform in concert.

During cooperative play as a band, all players earn points towards a common score, though score multipliers and “Overdrive” are tracked separately for each player. Overdrive is individually collected by players during select portions of a song by successfully playing all white notes (or yellow notes for vocals) within that section (or by using the guitar controller’s whammy bar during white sustained notes). Once a player’s Energy Meter is filled halfway, they can deploy their Overdrive, resulting in the “Band Meter” (which tracks how well each player is doing) changing more dramatically. This allows players to strategically use Overdrive to raise the Band Meter and pass portions of a song they otherwise might have failed. Overdrive can be used to activate score multipliers, which vary based on a player’s note streak. Players can deploy Overdrive independently of each other, as well as collect additional Overdrive while it is deployed and draining.

Each band member can choose the difficulty at which they play (spanning Easy, Medium, Hard, and Expert). If a player does not play well enough and falls to the bottom of the Band Meter, they will fail out of the song and their instrument will be muted from the audio mix. However, any active player can activate their Overdrive to bring failed players back into the song, “saving” the band member. However, a band member can only be saved twice; after the third failure, they cannot be brought back for that song. Failed players continuously drag the band’s Band Meter down until they are saved. If the player is not saved before the Band Meter reaches the bottom, the band fails the song. Players can earn Overdrive bonuses from “Unison Phrases” and extra points from a “Big Rock Ending.”

Instrument peripherals

All of the original Rock Band peripherals are compatible with Rock Band 2 for the same console. Similarly, the newly designed peripherals for Rock Band 2 are backwards compatible with the original Rock Band.

The game features special Rock Band 2-branded guitar controllers modeled after the Fender Stratocaster. The guitar is nearly identical to the original Rock Band Stratocaster in terms of gameplay. The colored fret buttons corresponding to on-screen notes must be held while the strum bar is pressed. The Stratocaster controller has five additional fret buttons of smaller size located higher up the guitar neck, allowing for notes to be played as finger tapping during solos. The controller also features an effects pickup switch that can toggle between five different effects. Overdrive for guitarists can be deployed by holding the controller in a vertical position or pressing the “Select/Back” button. Improvements to the new guitar include a more reliable strum bar and Overdrive accelerometer, a self-timing calibration, and quieter fret buttons. The bass drum pedal from the drum set can also be used with the guitar to activate Overdrive mode.

The bundled drum controller is also similar to the one featured in the original Rock Band. It features four rubber drum pads and a kick pedal. The pads have colored rings around the edges that correspond to the notes on-screen. The kick pedal simulates the bass drum, with on-screen notes represented as orange horizontal lines. To use the drum controller, players must strike the pads with the included authentic drum sticks and/or press the kick pedal in time with the scrolling notes on-screen. Drummers can improvise in special “freestyle drum fill” sections of songs, indicated by the columns for each note turning a solid color. Overdrive for drummers can be deployed by hitting the crash cymbal (green note for right-handed configuration) that appears directly after a freestyle drum fill. New improvements include velocity-sensitive drum pads (the force of the drum hits will dictate the in-game volume) with more rebound and less noise, a metal-reinforced kick pedal, expansion plugs for separately-sold cymbals manufactured by Mad Catz, and wireless capabilities.

Rock Band 2’s USB microphone instrument is identical to the microphone from the original game. Singers are judged by pitch, or during “talking parts”, their ability to enunciate spoken vocals. The phoneme detection system used for atonal vocal parts has been completely replaced with a new, more lenient engine, and songs imported from Rock Band and pre-existing downloadable content will be converted to use the new phoneme system. Some sections without vocals will display circle notes, allowing for the microphone to be used as a tambourine and cowbell by tapping it or making vocal cues. Overdrive for singers can be deployed by singing in freestyle vocal sections of songs, denoted by yellow artwork in the background of the vocals interface.

Harmonix and MTV Games will also be providing limited edition instruments, including an authentic Fender Squier Stratocaster guitar and Precision Bass retrofitted with the game’s input controls by Mad Catz. Additionally, Ion Audio is selling a “Premium Drum Kit” that not only works within Rock Band 2, but can also be expanded into an electronic drum kit through the purchase of a separately-sold drum brain. The “Premium Drum Kit” features four drum pads, two cymbal pads (with the option of a third), and a bass pedal.

The Rock Band 2 peripherals and Guitar Hero: World Tour peripherals are cross-compatible with other music games on the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3. Sony originally announced that instrument peripherals would be universally compatible on the PlayStation 3; and on November 24, 2008 a patch was released to allow the Guitar Hero: World Tour drums to be properly recognized by Rock Band 2. Microsoft has also stated that instruments on the Xbox 360 will be compatible between the two games, as well as Rock Revolution. The Wii edition of Rock Band 2 is compatible with the Wii drums and guitar for Rock Band and Guitar Hero World Tour as well as the guitar for Guitar Hero III. Rock Band 2 drum and guitar peripherals do not work with Wii Guitar Hero games, however, the microphone does. The GHWT drums on Rock Band 2 will not use the orange cymbal, however on the Wii version, the orange cymbal can be used as blue.

More Information

• Developer(s)  Harmonix (Xbox 360/PS3)
• Pi Studios (PS2/Wii)
• Publisher(s)  MTV Games
• Distributor(s)  EA Distribution
• Designer(s)  Dan Teasdale, Sylvain Dubrofsky, Casey Malone
• Platform(s)  Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii, PlayStation 2
• Release date(s)  Xbox 360, NA September 14, 2008, EU November 21, 2008, PlayStation 3, NA October 19, 2008, EU February 5, 2009, PlayStation 2, NA December 18, 2008, Wii, NA December 18, 2008,
• Genre(s)  Music, Simulation
• Mode(s)  Single player, multiplayer

Links

• Official Rock Band 2 website
• “Rock Band Live Tour” website

As introduced in Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga, new moves include clinging onto branches during a jump using Indy’s whip. As a promotion, Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga features Indy as an unlockable playable character.

The game often follows the events in the films, however like the Lego Star Wars series, some scenes from the film have been altered to become more family friendly or just provide comic relief to the player.

Development

In an effort to make the game more family friendly, all references to Nazis have been removed, and the game refers to Nazi characters simply as ‘enemies’. Also, at the climax of Raiders of the Lost Ark, the death of Belloq and the Nazis is not nearly as graphic. Also, in the Temple of Doom, Mola Ram does not rip out a victim’s heart.

It was initially reported that the game would allow up to four players in co-operative mode,[9] but this later turned out to be a miscommunication. While four characters may be visible on the screen, only two can be controlled by players. On the Nintendo DS, up to eight characters may be in the party, but only two may be visible on the screen. Neither the Xbox 360 version nor the PlayStation 3 version support online play through Xbox Live or the PlayStation Network.

Gameplay

The game follows the storylines from the original Indiana Jones films: Raiders of the Lost Ark, Temple of Doom, and Last Crusade. However, the developers modified the storylines to fit the events into 6 game chapters per movie. Barnett College, Dr. Indiana Jones’ teaching location from the movies, serves as the main hub of the game, and different rooms allow access to each of the missions as well as the extra unlockable content and options. Once a player chooses a mission, a cutscene begins that introduces the section of the movie being played. Notable scenes have been recreated from the movies, such as the memorable boulder escape and the battle on the rope bridge, as well as Walter Donovan choosing the incorrect Holy Grail.

Instead of canisters like in Lego Star Wars, the characters collect treasure.

There are 83 regular characters in total plus the two custom figures which can be made by the players and a few extras only playable on certain levels. Each character featured in the game has his/her own unique ability, which are required to access new areas when replaying a level in Free Play mode. Lego Indiana Jones allows players to mix and match parts to customize characters and make their own creation like “Belloq Jones” or “Colonel Toht”. Unlike the Lego Star Wars custom characters, they can be taken control of in the Art room at Barnett College where they are created.[10]

New features were added to the gameplay from the Lego Star Wars series, such as the ability for the player to interact with objects in their environment, e.g. bottles, swords and guns. Players can also build and ride vehicles. The game also incorporates character phobias from the films; for example, if Indiana Jones sees a snake, Willie sees a spider (excluding giant tarantulas), or Henry Jones Senior or Elsa see a rat, they will be frozen with fear and have limited movement capacity until the animals are either gone or out of range. Also, new melee attacks, such as the Whip snag (trips enemies), have been added.

Once the game reaches 100%, studs begin and continue to fall from the sky of Barnett College.

Nintendo DS Gameplay

The handheld version has some significant changes to accommodate both the memory and size limitations of the DS as well as its unique touch screen controls. Characters’ special abilities, such as Indy’s whip or Satipo’s shovel, and elements such as switches can be controlled by using the touch screen. In addition, the built-in microphone comes into play, allowing the player to physically blow out torches in some levels and inflate rubber rafts to cross water hazards.

There are four classes of characters that can use special access panels to enter hidden areas; these all require the player to match a four block sequence by solving a mini-puzzle on the touch screen. Scholars can access scroll panels, and must flip pages in a book to find the correct blocks. Thuggee use red skull panels and move a torch to illuminate the blocks on a darkened screen. Military characters can use the green radio panels and scroll through a set of slot-machine wheels to match the pattern. Brotherhood characters enter the red sword panels and solve a block switching game. In addition, Marion (and Monkey Man) can transform into a monkey on special red pads to climb to otherwise inaccessible areas, and throw bottles of alcohol into flaming trash cans to blow up certain obstacles.

The DS version features cameos by Star Wars characters, including Wicket the Ewok and Luke frozen in an ice cave resembling the Wampa’s, but unlike the console versions none of the characters are playable. Santa Claus, Strong Man, Castle Knight, and the Clown are the only non-movie characters who are unlockable. There are also no hidden levels and no bonus reward for completing the game at 100%.

Red power bricks remain in the DS version, despite being replaced with red parcels in the console/PSP versions. Also, the characters do not suffer from fear of creatures as they do in the console versions.

More Information

• Developer(s)  Traveller’s Tales
• Publisher(s)  LucasArts
• Engine  Modified Lego Star Wars II engine
• Platform(s)  Nintendo DS, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, Wii, Xbox 360
• Release date(s)  NA June 3, 2008, EU June 6, 2008, AUS June 4, 2008
• Genre(s)  Action-adventure

Links

• Official site
• Games for Windows listing
• The Lego Indiana Jones Wiki

Gameplay

The Curious Village is a puzzle game, with the player controlling the movements of Professor Layton and his young assistant Luke around the village of St. Mystere to locate the “Golden Apple” and solving other mysteries that arise during their searching. St. Mystere is divided into several sections, which the player can move between, though some sections are inaccessible until certain parts of the story have been advanced or they have met a minimum requirement of number of puzzles solved. The player can talk to characters or investigate objects on screen by tapping them. In many cases, the characters will ask Layton and Luke to try to solve a puzzle; there are also hidden puzzles that can be found by investigating certain objects. As the story progresses, if the player has not solved some of the puzzles made available by talking to characters, these will be collected at a special location so the player may still attempt them.

Puzzles include brain teasers, sliding puzzles, logic puzzles and others. The player is presented with the puzzle and the value of the puzzle in “picarats”, and is given unlimited time to solve it. Each puzzle has three hints available for it, but the player must spend one “hint coin” to see each hint. Hint coins are limited; the player starts with ten, and more are available by searching around the village. Once the player feels he has the answer, he enters it, either by selecting an answer, drawing a circle around a specific part, or entering the answer through character recognition on the DS’s touchscreen. If the player is correct, the picarats are added to his total score, and he is sometimes rewarded with an item. If the player is incorrect, they can retry the puzzle indefinitely, though the first two times they are wrong, the value of the puzzle will decrease by approximately ten percent each time. Optionally, a player can quit a puzzle at no cost and try another, though certain puzzles are mandatory to progress. Once a puzzle is completed, the player may retry it at any time via the game’s menus.

As a reward for completing a puzzle, the player may earn one of three rewards. Gizmos are collected in order to create a robot dog that can help sniff out hint coins for the player. Pieces of a portrait can be assembled as in a jigsaw puzzle. Pieces of furniture can be distributed between Layton’s and Luke’s rooms at the inn to try to satisfy the overall happiness of both. By completing all 120 puzzles in the main game and each of these additional puzzles, the player can access 15 additional puzzles accessible as a bonus item in the game. The game is compatible with Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, allowing players to connect to the internet and unlock new puzzles. The first unlockable puzzle was made available on the day of the game’s Japanese release, and one new key has been released every week thereafter. A new key is released every Sunday. There is also a “The Hidden Door” that is only available after the player finds a unique code in the sequel Professor Layton and Pandora’s Box that contains development art of the characters in the game.

A playable demo of The Curious Village is available on its official website.

Plot

Specific order of events in the game will vary depending on choices that the player has made during the game, but the overall plot remains unchanged.

The game opens with Professor Layton and Luke driving to the town of St. Mystere by request of Lady Dahlia, widow of the late Baron Reinhold. The Baron has left in his last will and testament that whoever solves the mystery of the Golden Apple would inherit the Baron’s fortunes, and several people have attempted and failed. The two enter the town, and find that most of the population is fond of puzzles and brain teasers, both which Layton and Luke are adept at solving. They also see a large, haphazard tower that occupies one side of town that no one can get to, but that people keep hearing strange noises emanating from at night. Layton and Luke meet Lady Dahlia, other family members including Simon, and their servants, but before they can discuss the matter further, a loud exploding sound is heard and Dahlia’s cat Claudia flees out of the door. Layton and Luke chase Claudia through town, solving puzzles along the way. Meanwhile, a strange soot covered man plots a deadly plan against the heroes. Eventually they discover the cats fondness for fish and tempt her back with one. upon returning to the mansion, Layton and Luke to find that Simon has been murdered and the case is already under investigation by Inspector Chelmey. Chelmey initially suspects the two, but as their alibi holds up, lets them go, but tells them to stay of out of the murder investigation. However, Layton cannot help to notice a small gearwheel near Simon’s body.

As Layton and Luke continue their search for the Golden Apple, they witness the kidnapping of one of Dahlia’s servants, Ramon.a strange man stuffs Ramon into a bag; they give chase but are unable to catch him, though they do find another gearwheel similar to the one before. However, they are befuddled as the next day, Ramon is back as if nothing had happened. They continue to explore the town, eventually led to the town’s abandoned amusement park by a young girl met at the dead end. As they explore the Ferris wheel, the sinister figure from earlier uses a remote to tear the wheel from its moorings, sending it chasing after Layton and Luke, who barely escape as the wheel smashed through a locked building. Exploring the wreckage, they find a key shaped similar to the tower, and Layton gets an idea of what’s going on in the village. The two return to face Chelmey, who Layton realizes is an impostor. The man reveals himself as Layton’s arch-enemy, Don Paolo, seeking the Golden Apple for himself and who tried to use the Ferris wheel to knock Layton out of the picture; Paolo escapes before Layton can capture him.

With Luke in tow, Layton heads for the tower, using the key to unlock a secret wall in the dead end. Inside, they discover the man that previously had kidnapped Ramon, named Bruno. Layton exposes the truth with Bruno’s help; all the residents of St. Mystere are robots, created by the Baron and Bruno to challenge the wits of anyone seeking the Golden Apple, explaining why all the townsfolks were obsessed with puzzles. Simon wasn’t murdered, only that he malfunctioned; similarly, Bruno kidnapped Ramon in order to perform repairs. Having solved the puzzle of St. Mystere, Layton and Luke climb the tower, solving puzzles and meeting minor characters along the way. Eventually, the pair reaches the top of the tower, and much to their surprise, find a small house there. Inside, the young girl from before awaits. She reveals herself as Flora, the only daughter of the Baron, and was the Golden Apple that the robots were protecting. However, this realisation is short-lived as Paolo returns in a flying machine, and starts demolishing the tower. Luke escapes down the stairs, but Layton is forced to improvise a glider to take Flora and himself to safety as the tower collapses. the villain swears revenge and leaves. the three are safe in town and as Flora laughs in happiness an apple like birthmark can be seen on her shoulder. As they regroup at the Reinhold manor, Layton realizes that there’s more than just Flora as the treasure, as the birthmark points to the Baron’s riches. Luke finds a switch on the portrait of Flora which leads to a secret room filled with gold. A note from the Baron congratulates those that had followed the clues, and tells Flora to take the treasure, warning that if it is taken, all the robots will stop functioning. Flora opts to leave it as a way to repay the robots for their years of service to protect her and as her friends. As the game ends, Layton, Luke and Flora leave St. Mystere, having not taken the treasure, allowing the residents to continue on with their lives. Flora leaves the village with Layton and Luke. the three (and other characters)are shown laughing and living together during the game credits.

As the first part of a trilogy, the main story ends with a “to be continued” message with a picture of Luke and Layton at a train station.

More Information

• Developer(s)  Level-5
• Publisher(s)  JP Level-5, Other regions Nintendo
• Series  Professor Layton
• Platform(s)  Nintendo DS
• Release date(s)  JP 15 February, 2007, NA 10 February, 2008, AUS 10 April, 2008, KR 11 September, 2008, EU 7 November, 2008
• Genre(s)  puzzle

Links

• Official website
• Italian official website

Fallout 3 takes place in the year 2277, 36 years after the setting of Fallout 2 and 200 years after the nuclear war that devastated the game’s world. The game places the player in the role of an inhabitant of Vault 101, a survival shelter designed to protect a small number of humans from the nuclear fallout. When the player’s father disappears in mysterious circumstances, the player is forced to escape from the Vault and journey into the ruins of Washington D.C. to track him down. Along the way the player is assisted by a number of other human survivors and must battle a myriad of enemies that now inhabit the wasteland. The game has an attribute and combat system typical of an action role-playing game but also incorporates elements of first-person shooter and survival horror games.

Following its release, Fallout 3 received a positive response from critics who praised in particular the game’s open-ended gameplay and flexible character-levelling system. It has been compared to the 2007 video game BioShock for its setting and use of elements from mid-twentieth century American culture. Critics have also noted several flaws in the game, such as the lack of precision in real-time combat and numerous glitches and crashes that can affect the player’s progression through the game. Public reception was overwhelmingly positive on release according to the game’s high sales figures, particularly when compared to previous titles in the Fallout series.

Gameplay

The game features an ability to toggle from first-person to third-person perspectives. Main character creation occurs as the player experiences the character’s childhood. As a child in the Vault, the character reads a book titled “You’re SPECIAL”, where upon reading the player can set the character’s seven primary attributes or “Special Stats,” (Strength, Perception, Endurance, Charisma, Intelligence, Agility, and Luck). The character receives weapons training and a PIP-Boy 3000 later on during childhood, and the player’s performance in various tests suggests a set of skills for the character. Additionally, several quests inside the Vault influence the player character’s relationship with his or her acquaintances. Skills and Perks are similar to those in previous games: the player chooses three “Tag” Skills out of a total of 13 to be the character’s specialties. The maximum level the player can achieve is level 20; every level up, a new perk can be selected, each offering advantages of varying quality and form. The Traits from the previous Fallout installments, slightly modified, were combined with Perks in Fallout 3, and the player can choose a new Perk each time after gaining a level.

The game world itself is similar in size to that of Oblivion, which has a 16-square-mile (41 km2) game world. It also makes notable reference to other works of science fiction like Dune and Mad Max. The game features a new health and radiation system as well. The player can measure an object’s radioactivity and gauge the effect it will have on the character.

V.A.T.S.

The Vault-Tec Assisted Targeting System, or V.A.T.S., plays an important part in the fighting phases of the game. While using VATS, real-time combat is paused, and action is played out from varying camera angles in a computer graphics version of ‘bullet time’, creating a combat system that the Bethesda developers have described as a hybrid between turn-based and real-time combat. Various actions cost action points, limiting the actions of each combatant during a turn, and both the player and enemies can target specific body areas for attacks to inflict specific injuries.

Item decay and custom-made weapons

Another game mechanic is item degradation. The more weapons and armor are used and damaged in combat, the more they lose their effectiveness. Firearms slow their rate of fire and do less damage, and apparel becomes gradually less protective. Items can be repaired for a price from special vendors, or if the player has two of the same item, one of the two can be salvaged to repair the other. The Repair skill must be at a certain level to repair an item beyond a certain level of degradation.

Players also have the option to create their own weaponry using various scavenged items found in the wasteland. These items can only be created at workbenches, if the player also possesses the necessary schematics. These weapons include melee, a variety of ranged and several extremely explosive devices. There are 3 versions for each Schematic, making the related weapon stronger and more durable. These Schematics are only found in certain locations, either on the ground, sold by some vendors or offered as quest rewards.

Team members

The player can have a maximum party of three, consisting of himself or herself, a dog named Dogmeat, and a single non-player character or NPC. Dogmeat can be killed during the game if the player misuses him or places him in a severely dangerous situation and he cannot be replaced; it is possible to not encounter Dogmeat at all depending on how the game is played. One other NPC can travel with the player at any time, and in order to get another NPC to travel, the first one must be dismissed by the player.

Karma system

The karma system is an important feature in the gameplay. The player’s actions, including conversation and combat choices, affect the player’s status in the game world. A player who makes morally good choices will be received more positively by “good” NPCs, and more negatively by “evil” NPCs; however, the reverse is also true: a player that makes morally bad choices will be received more positively by “evil” NPCs and more negatively by “good” NPCs. Quest choices can also have more extreme repercussions on karma; for instance, the player is given the choice of destroying an entire city for a quest, and this single action gives a great deal of negative karma. Extremes of karma have certain effects: a high karma leads to the player being attacked by bounty hunters, and for random NPCs to give the player gifts in thanks of their service. Crimes can also be committed by a player, and whichever faction or group that is harmed by a crime will be fully aware of the player’s action. Other factions that were not affected by the crime will not be aware of it, and since a town is usually its own faction, news of a crime committed in one town will not spread to another. Factions can range in size and boundaries, however, and may not be restricted to a single area.

More Information

• Developer(s)  Bethesda Game Studios, 2K Games
• Publisher(s)  Bethesda Softworks, ZeniMax Media
• Designer(s)  Emil Pagliarulo (Lead Designer), Todd Howard (Exec. Producer)
• Composer(s)  Inon Zur
• Series  Fallout
• Engine  Gamebryo engine
• Version  1.0.0.15(as of November 6, 2008)
• Platform(s)  Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
• Release date(s)  NA October 28, 2008
• Genre(s)  Action role-playing game
• Mode(s)  Single-player

Links

• Fallout 3 Official Website
• Fallout 3

In Gears of War 2, the Locust have found a way to make giant emergence holes capable of sinking entire cities at once. Marcus Fenix and the rest of the COG Delta Squad are now drilling underground to “take the fight to the Locust.” In a teaser of the first scenes of gameplay of Gears of War 2, COG soldiers engage in battle with a large army of Locust as they travel to drill into the underground region. Comic book writer Joshua Ortega says, “The stakes are raised. This is humanity’s last stand. Everything is at risk. Nothing is safe.”

Gameplay

John DiMaggio, the voice actor of the game’s main character, Marcus Fenix, confirmed to IGN that players would be able to fight the large Brumaks in Gears of War 2. He also revealed there will be a deeper story with new characters, new weapons, and new enemies. The game also includes the ability to duel with an AI or human opponent when both use the chainsaw attachment of the Lancer rifle, as seen in the 2008 Game Developer’s Conference promotional video, later confirmed in informal interviews with developers and a Game Informer preview. Epic released a gameplay video which revealed the player may now use “downed” enemies as shields. Bleszinski confirmed also that players who have been injured can crawl as a final desperate attempt at life. Players may tap the ‘A’ Button to crawl faster. The level of blood and gore has been increased, for example, when the player is close to death, wherever he moves there are trails of blood behind him. This is the same for enemies, and the opponents who’ve been used as a meat shield. There are also more ways to kill an opponent, such as punching them while they are downed, using the sniper rifle as a sledgehammer, or using the torque bow as an axe.

The cover story in the May 2008 issue of Game Informer revealed several new gameplay features. Players can now play on individual co-op play settings. One player may, for instance, play on Casual difficulty while the other teammate plays on Hardcore. A “communal combat system” will adapt to give a player at a lower difficulty an equivalently fair challenge as the player at higher difficulty. The player will be able to maintain multiple save files that work with the drop-in/drop-out co-op features. There is also a fourth difficulty level that is a level above Casual called Normal, a difficulty below Hardcore; senior producer Rod Fergusson admitted that — for the first game — “We overshot on [the Casual] difficulty and a game that was a little harder than we intended.” Some of the Xbox Live achievements can be completed through both play in single player and multiplayer mode, such as achieving 1,000 headshots. New enemy creatures are planned on being added, including one described by Cliff Bleszinski as one “that [makes] the Brumak look like a baby panda bear.” In a developer’s video, Cliff Bleszinski stated that Gears of War 2 would feature “drop in and out” co-op in the campaign. A feature carried over from the original is the optional mature content filter, which, when active, makes blood appear as sparks and removes harsh language from the dialogue.

The collection of COG tags has been expanded to include the collection of story-based items such as personal letters and medical records, and a “war journal” will track which collectibles have been found and where missing ones can be located. The cut-scenes will also use the better facial rendering technology of Epic’s Unreal engine, and will use more dramatic angles for the conversation, as well as using a video screen on Jack (the all-purpose robot used by Delta squad) to talk with their commanders “face-to-face.”

New weapons were added to the game in addition to firearms from the previous gamee. The accuracy, function, and power of several weapons have been altered, and all grenades can now be used as mines by placing them on walls or floors, and will detonate when approached by enemies. In addition, players can now be knocked over by the concussive force of a nearby detonating grenade. Cliff Bleszinski has also announced that there will be more vehicle missions in the campaign than before, such as the Centaur Tank which Cliff describes as a “tank with monster truck wheels.” Players can also ride a Brumak in the game; previously, the Brumak could only be fought by the player as an enemy, in the PC version of the game.

Multiplayer

Gears of War 2 features an upgraded multiplayer mode that allows up to ten users to simultaneously play. X360 magazine reported that Gears of War 2 contains at least three new online multiplayer modes, called “Guardian,” “Wingman,” and “Submission.” “Guardian” is a modified version of “Assassination” from the original Gears of War, but allows players to continue fighting after the leader has been killed, but losing the ability to respawn. “Wingman” splits all ten players into five teams of two, where both members of a team play as the same character. “Submission,” formerly known as “Meat Flag,” is a version of capture the flag in which players attempt to “down” an enemy controlled by the game’s AI and move its body to their team’s base to earn points. A Halo-like matchmaking system has been utilized for the online multiplayer. In a GameTrailers TV E3 special, it was confirmed that AI “bots” have also been introduced in this installment. Players can now engage in multiplayer scenarios with both human players and bots, or with bots alone, and may modify their intelligence level (from Casual to Insane difficulty) in the options menu prior to starting a game.

A new co-op game mode was confirmed during Microsoft’s E3 2008 press conference; called “Horde,” this mode allows up to five players to fight off waves of attacking Locust together. Horde Mode does not feature bot support as in competitive multiplayer, and can be played alone. The Locust attack in waves of multiple enemies which become more difficult as players progress.

Cameras in the multiplayer modes have also been improved significantly. Rather than static views from different points on a map, the new Battle Cam allows players to pan around a map as the camera focuses on areas of intense fighting, and the Ghost Cam allows a player to roam freely around a map. A photo mode is also featured, with each photo taken by a player rated on the amount of action in the shot and can be uploaded to the official Gears of War website.

Other Information

• Developer(s)  Epic Games
• Publisher(s)  Microsoft Game Studios
• Designer(s)  Cliff Bleszinski
• Composer(s)  Steve Jablonsky
• Engine  Unreal Engine 3
• Release date(s)  November 7, 2008
• Genre(s)  Third-person shooter, Tactical shooter
• Mode(s)  Single player, System Link, Multiplayer, Cooperative modes

Links

• Gears of War Official Website
• The Last Day: Promotional Site

The game is set in a redesigned rendition of Liberty City, a fictional city based heavily on modern day New York City. It follows Niko Bellic, a war veteran from an unspecified country in Eastern Europe, who comes to the United States in search of the American Dream, but quickly becomes entangled in a seedy underworld of gangs, crime, and corruption. Like other games in the series, GTA IV is composed of elements from driving games and third-person shooters, and features “open-world” gameplay that gives players more control over their playing experience. GTA IV is the first console game in the series to feature an online multiplayer mode, which contains fifteen game types.

A major commercial and critical success, Grand Theft Auto IV broke industry records with sales of around 3.6 million units on its first day of release and grossing more than $500 million in revenue in the first week, from an estimated 6 million units sold worldwide. As of 16 August 2008, the game has sold over 10 million copies. Grand Theft Auto IV received overwhelmingly positive reviews, becoming one of the highest-rated games of all-time on the aggregated review websites MobyGames and TopTenReviews.

Gameplay

Grand Theft Auto IV is structured similarly to previous games in the series. The core gameplay consists of elements of a third-person shooter and a driving game, giving the player a large, open environment in which to move around. On foot, the player’s character is capable of walking, running, swimming, climbing and jumping, as well as using weapons and basic hand-to-hand combat. Players can steal and drive a variety of vehicles, including automobiles, boats, helicopters, and motorcycles. Grand Theft Auto IV takes advantage of Natural Motion’s Euphoria engine, which combines artificial intelligence, bio mechanics and physics to make NPC behaviour and movement adaptive and more realistic.

The open, non-linear environment allows players to explore and choose how they wish to play the game. Although storyline missions are necessary to progress through the game and unlock certain parts of the map and content, they are not required, as players can complete them at their own leisure. When not taking on a storyline mission, players can free-roam. However, creating havoc can attract unwanted and potentially fatal attention from the authorities. Niko can pick up prostitutes and pay for three different levels of sexual service, and request a private erotic dance whilst visiting lap dancing clubs. The game gives an un-detailed portrayal of sexual acts with prostitutes and there is no sexual nudity.

It is possible to have multiple active missions, due to the fact that some missions will run over the course of several days and will require the player to wait for further instructions, etc. The player can also partake in a variety of optional side missions. For the first time in the series, Grand Theft Auto IV features “morality choices” at several points throughout the game, in which the player is forced to choose between killing a character or sparing their life or killing one of two characters. The game has two different endings, which are determined by deciding which of the two missions to complete. The player can choose between a revenge mission or a deal mission, each leads to a different ending.

Combat and police response
Combat in Grand Theft Auto IV has been reworked to include a cover system.

The gunfight combat system has been reworked to a third-person scheme.[28] The player can slide to cover, blindfire, and free aim. When locked on, the target’s health is indicated by eight segments inside the target circle (which is white), these segments can be green (if the target is a civilian/non-attacking or non-aggressive target) or red (authorities/hostile targets or assassination targets), additionally, if the target’s wearing body armour there will be an additional smaller, blue armour circle inside the health circle, showing the target’s armour status. Niko can also perform “cinematic executions”, only possible with a pistol to certain characters/situations when the target circle blinks red. Players can target individual body parts using a revamped targeting system.[29] Niko’s health is represented by a green semicircle on the left side of the mini-map, while a blue semicircle on the right represents armour.

If Niko gets injured, he can recover health by using the services of a prostitute, eating, drinking soda, sleeping, using medical kits or using his mobile phone to call for paramedics; also, one girlfriend has the special ability of healing Niko by calling her with the mobile phone. Health is generally reduced by physical injuries such as getting hit by vehicles when walking, going through the windscreen of a vehicle when crashing, and gunfire or explosions. Body armour is gradually damaged by gunshots, explosions and stab wounds.[30] If Niko’s health level reaches zero he appears at the nearest hospital, but loses 10% of his total wealth (up to $10,000). Niko is able to retain his weapons after re-spawning at a hospital, unlike previous GTA games (besides Vice City Stories and San Andreas), where this ability and the same but after being arrested had to be unlocked. However, weapons are still confiscated if he is arrested and taken to a police station.

Wanted levels operate differently from previous GTA games. When the police are in pursuit of Niko, a search radius appears on the map in which the police will be looking for him. The size of this radius increases with the player’s wanted level and re-centres itself on Niko’s location if he is spotted by the police. The player can evade the police by escaping the search radius and temporarily keeping a low profile by not committing further offences. The wanted levels can be lost by Niko either driving into a “Pay ‘N’ Spray” (unless seen entering by police) as in previous games or by disguising himself by clandestinely changing vehicles in empty areas such as parking garages. The player has the option to attempt escaping arrest before he is handcuffed, at the cost of increasing his wanted level by one star.[29] Additionally, pedestrians with cellphones can report crimes they witness in the surrounding environment.[31][32]

The type of police response also differs slightly from previous GTA games; however, creating more chaos still leads to a stronger response. “Minor” crimes, such as assault, public firearm discharge, grand theft auto and homicide, continue to be handled by police patrols. Higher wanted levels still activate police helicopter and water craft support teams and FBI-like agents, known as FIB (Federal Investigation Bureau) in GTA IV. Police SWAT and the military have been replaced by an elite counter-terrorism team known as N.O.O.S.E. (National Office Of Security Enforcement), an amalgamation of SWAT and the Department of Homeland Security.

Vehicles

Stealing a parked car shows Niko smashing the glass (if it is locked) and then hotwiring it, as opposed to previous games where the player simply entered the driver’s seat or cannot enter if it’s locked. The player can focus the camera on the target during chases, by holding the cinematic camera button. Every vehicle in the game uses the in-game minimap as a GPS device, and additional voice directions are provided in luxury cars. “Waypoints” can be placed on destinations on the map, outlining the fastest legal route between Niko and the destination on the minimap. The ability to hail a taxi cab allows the player to travel to destinations without having to drive, and the entire journey may be skipped, allowing them to arrive at their destination instantly. The player cannot pilot fixed-wing aircraft, as was possible in previous games, but can still pilot helicopters, including the police “Annihilator”, which has mounted machine guns.

When major collisions on motorbikes occur, Niko will most likely fly off in any direction, depending on realistic physics. The physics engine will turn Niko into a rag doll after a bike crash, instead of using a predefined animation. Niko can lose health or die if he crashes or smashes through the windscreen of cars during high speed collisions. Vehicles will not explode if they are flipped over, or shot in any place other than the engine block or fuel tank, however they may catch fire and eventually explode if the engine is repeatedly damaged via collisions. Explosions can sometimes render nearby vehicles unusable, or cause them to catch fire. Car engines can also break down, rendering them unable to start. When driving or riding in a car, Niko is able to smash the window, free-aim, and fire out of the vehicle with several different one-handed weapons. The player may also drop grenades or Molotov cocktails.

Communication

The use of the mobile phone has been expanded to perform multiple actions. When selecting the mobile phone, a zoomed-in version of the phone interface pops up in the bottom right-hand corner of the screen. The phone allows the player to view text messages and appointments, as well as arrange to meet friends for activities. Retrying a failed mission can be done by accessing the menu and responding positively to a certain text message. The player can take photos with the mobile phone and upload them to the police computer during certain missions. Niko can dial 911 to call emergency services, who promptly arrive to his location and will respond to a situation, or lack thereof, occurring there. The police will arrest felons, and paramedics are able to restore Niko’s health. The phone also allows access to the game’s multiplayer mode.

The game also features several different in-game databases that Niko can make use of. An in-game version of the Internet can be used by accessing the Internet café chain, “TW@”, located throughout the city. There are over 100 accessible fictitious websites within the game, and Niko can also send and receive email (including junk mail) and set up prospective dates. Although the Internet café was seen in Grand Theft Auto III, it did not give the player the option to browse. In a police vehicle, Niko can use an in-car computer to access Liberty City’s criminal database, discover information about various criminals in Liberty City and even track them down for a reward. The game also features in-game television programming, with several viewable channels featuring programs and advertisements. The television shows cover a wide variety of genres, including news, talk shows, and sports. There is also a parody of Ric Burns’ New York: A Documentary Film running continuously on one of the game’s television stations, detailing the history of Liberty City in the same style as Burns’ eight-part documentary.

Multiplayer

Grand Theft Auto IV includes online multiplayer, with 15 modes of play available. The multiplayer supports up to 16 players (32 players in the PC version) and allows players to explore the entire city. Players use a customisable character in a majority of the modes, and cash earned during play translates to a level at which more clothing is available for their character, depending on the level. Hosts of the games can control many variables, such as police presence, traffic, and weapons. The online games are split into ranked and unranked matches. The reward for the ranked gameplay is cash, which determines players’ ranks. The game does not feature any split screen or LAN multiplayer modes  on console, but the PC version does have LAN support.

There are several different game modes available. Team based gameplay modes include Team Deathmatch, where 2-8 teams compete to accumulate the most kills in a traditional deathmatch; Team Mafiya Work, in which 2–8 teams compete to complete contract work for the “mafiya”, such as escorting/killing targets or stealing cars; Team Car Jack City where 2–8 teams compete to steal cars and earn money for keeping them undamaged; Cops n’ Crooks, featuring a team of cops who must compete against a team of crooks (which features the “All for One” variation – requiring the cops to kill the crooks’ “Boss” before he is escorted to the extraction point – and the “One for All” variation – requiring the cops to kill all of the crooks before they reach the extraction point); and Turf War, involving two teams who compete to take control of designated areas of the map and control them for as long as possible.

The game also includes a variety of racing and cooperative modes, which include Race, in which players race through checkpoints in a traditional automobile race; a GTA Race variation, where players race through checkpoints in an automobile race, with the ability to combat their opponents; Hangman’s N.O.O.S.E., a co-op mode that requires players to collect a person from the airport and safely escort him to the extraction point before the cops kill him; Deal Breaker, a co-op mission that requires players to assault a construction site captured by enemies, then chase a group of enemies before they escape; and Bomb da Base II, a co-op mission that requires players to clear out a ship, then destroy it with explosives. The game also features a Free Mode, in which players have the entire map open to explore, with no end goal or mission to complete.

There are, however, limitations when playing Free Mode. Certain features from the single player story mode are disabled. The disabled features include the mini-games such as bowling, darts, and pool. Also disabled is other content found in the game, including cheats, clubs and the internet café. These limitations also apply for all other game-types.

Other Information

• Publisher(s)  Rockstar Games, JP Capcom
• Distributor(s)  Take-Two Interactive (retail), Steam (online)
• Designer(s)  Simon Lashley, Keith McLeman
• Series  Grand Theft Auto
• Engine  RAGE
• Euphoria (Motion Engine)
• Version  1.04 (PlayStation 3), 1.01 (Xbox 360), 1.0.1.0 (Windows)
• Platform(s)  PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows
• Release date(s)  PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, 29 April 2008
• Microsoft Windows, NA 2 December 2008, EU 3 December 2008
• Genre(s)  Sandbox, third-person shooter, action-adventure
• Mode(s)  Single-player, multiplayer

Links:

• Grand Theft Auto IV Official website
• Grand Theft Auto IV PC Official website
• Grand Theft Auto IV at Wikia
• Grand Theft Auto IV guide at StrategyWiki